Railway Sleeper Squaring Device with Transverse Push Actuators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual sleeper squaring in railway track laying is slow and imprecise, leading to bottlenecks in production and potential sleeper breakage due to excessive compression by existing positioning machines.
Innovation Solution
A device with positioning elements that extend between sleepers to push them into correct position, avoiding longitudinal compression, coupled with a self-propelled machine for efficient operation, allowing for precise positioning and adaptation to varying sleeper distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual sleeper squaring is performed by workers using metal bars and squares, then the sleepers can be positioned with some precision, but the production speed is slow and represents a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system (workers with metal bars and squares) with an automated positioning machine that uses hydraulic or pneumatic actuators to push sleepers into correct position. The control system with sensors and processors automatically detects sleeper positions and commands the actuators to make precise adjustments, eliminating the need for manual measurement and positioning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning machine performs self-measurement using sensors (laser scanners, cameras, or distance sensors) to detect sleeper positions, orientations, and spacings. The control system automatically processes this data and commands the actuators to correct positions, enabling the system to service itself without human intervention for both measurement and adjustment operations.
2Productivity
If existing positioning machines use wedges to push sleepers into position, then the sleepers can be positioned efficiently, but excessive compression causes sleeper breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the wedge-based mechanical compression system with a push-based actuation system. Hydraulic or pneumatic actuators apply controlled pushing forces to move sleepers laterally into correct positions without compressing them longitudinally. This substitution eliminates the excessive compression that causes sleeper breakage while maintaining efficient positioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of force application from compressive (wedges pushing from sides) to pushing (actuators pushing from behind). This parameter change in the mechanism of action allows sleeper positioning without excessive compression, preserving sleeper strength and integrity while achieving the required positioning precision and speed.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual sleeper positioning is performed to achieve correct spacing and perpendicularity, then the sleepers can be positioned accurately, but the process is time-consuming and reduces overall production efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning machine operates continuously as it moves along the track, with sensors constantly detecting sleeper positions and actuators continuously making adjustments. The system processes multiple sleepers in sequence without interruption, maintaining continuous useful action throughout the positioning process, thereby eliminating the time loss associated with manual repositioning and measurement between sleepers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual measurement and positioning operations with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect sleeper positions and a processor to calculate required adjustments. The system automatically commands actuators to position each sleeper correctly, eliminating the time-consuming manual processes of measuring, calculating, and physically adjusting each sleeper individually.
Data Source
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AI summary
The purpose of the invention is a railway track (3) sleeper (2) squaring device and the machine which carries this device. The device comprises a first and a second positioning element (1) adapted to be located between pairs of sleepers (2) and for locating at opposite ends of the sleepers (2) and parallel to the direction of the railway track (3) where these positioning elements (1) can be extended in that direction with the first and second positioning element (1) being configured such that on extending them simultaneously to a pre-set value they push the sleepers (2) so as to produce squaring of these sleepers (2).